U.S. patent number 6,530,371 [Application Number 09/993,098] was granted by the patent office on 2003-03-11 for drug delivery system including holder and drug container.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Becton, Dickinson and Company. Invention is credited to Hubert Jansen, Lionel Vedrine.
United States Patent |
6,530,371 |
Jansen , et al. |
March 11, 2003 |
Drug delivery system including holder and drug container
Abstract
A drug delivery system for administering preset doses of a
substance such as a drug, vaccine or the like is provided. The drug
delivery system includes a holder and a pre-filled drug container
such as a syringe which is securely retained in the holder. The
drug container includes a barrel for containing the substance, a
movable stopper situated within the barrel, and a blunt end having
an opening through which the substance within the barrel can be
expelled. The holder includes a distal portion and a proximal
portion, each configured to accommodate the drug container, with
the distal portion being able to be assembled to the proximal
portion, which acts as a plunger rod during activation of the
delivery system. A plurality of slots are provided for controlling
the delivery of a substance and extend axially along at least one
portion of the holder whereby upon activation of the system, the
portions of the holder move towards one another upon the
application of a minimum force and the stopper moves a preselected
axial distance to expel at least a portion of the substance from
the drug container. One application is to a nasal drug container,
where approximately equal doses of the substance are desired to be
administered to each nostril of the patient.
Inventors: |
Jansen; Hubert (Poisat,
FR), Vedrine; Lionel (Saint Martin d'Heres,
FR) |
Assignee: |
Becton, Dickinson and Company
(Franklin Lakes, NJ)
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Family
ID: |
23653609 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/993,098 |
Filed: |
November 5, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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417346 |
Oct 14, 1999 |
6382204 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
128/200.19;
604/218 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M
11/06 (20130101); A61M 15/0065 (20130101); A61M
15/08 (20130101); B05B 11/02 (20130101); A61M
15/0025 (20140204); A61M 5/31591 (20130101); A61M
2205/073 (20130101); A61M 2210/0618 (20130101); A61M
2005/208 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61M
15/00 (20060101); A61M 11/06 (20060101); A61M
15/08 (20060101); B05B 11/02 (20060101); A61M
011/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/200.14,200.18,200.19,200.22,203.21,203.22,203.28,205.13-205.16
;604/218,131,134,135,208,187,188,232 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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WO 97/01611 |
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Jul 1999 |
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Primary Examiner: Lewis; Aaron J.
Assistant Examiner: Mitchell; Teena
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Wark; Allen W.
Parent Case Text
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/417,346, filed
Nov. 14, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,204.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of intranasally delivering at least one substance in at
least two doses, comprising the steps of: grasping a pre-assembled
drug delivery system with a thumb and two forefingers of one hand,
said drug delivery system including a drug container and a holder,
with the drug container including a barrel, a first end extending
from the barrel, and a stopper slidably positioned within the
barrel and the holder having a distal portion and a proximal
portion, with the distal portion being assembled to the proximal
portion, with the drug container secured therein, and the proximal
portion acting as a plunger rod during activation of the system;
inserting an end of said drug container into a first nostril of a
person to whom the substance is to be intranasally delivered;
squeezing together the thumb and two forefingers of the one hand to
apply sufficient force to break a first frangible bridge extending
across a slot to insure the application of a minimum force; moving
the proximal portion of the holder towards the distal portion of
the holder a first predetermined distance during a first motion as
a result of continuing to squeeze together the thumb and two
forefingers to cause a first displacement of the stopper and
expulsion of a first predetermined amount of a substance contained
in the chamber of the drug container barrel into said first
nostril; removing the end of said drug container from said first
nostril while relaxing the squeezing force being applied and
inserting the end of said drug container into a second nostril of
the person to whom the substance is to be intranasally delivered;
squeezing together the thumb and two forefingers to apply
sufficient force to break a second frangible bridge extending
across the slot to insure application of a minimum force; and
moving the proximal portion of the holder towards the distal
portion of the holder a second predetermined distance during a
second motion as a result of continuing to squeeze together the
thumb and two forefingers to cause a second displacement of the
stopper and expulsion of a second predetermined amount of the
substance contained in the chamber of the drug container barrel
into said second nostril.
2. The method described in claim 1 wherein said first predetermined
distance is approximately equal to said second predetermined
distance and said first predetermined amount of substance expelled
is approximately equal to said second predetermined amount of
substance expelled.
3. The method described in claim 1, further comprising the step of
visually inspecting the substance in the drug container located
within the holder through at least one window located in said
distal portion of said holder.
4. The method described in claim 1, wherein relaxing the force
being applied during said first motion causes the proximal portion
of the holder to rotate about a longitudinal axis by a force
exerted by biasing means.
5. The method described in claim 1, wherein the step of grasping
the drug delivery includes placing each of the two forefingers on a
flange extending from the distal portion of the holder and placing
the thumb on a closed end of the proximal portion of the
holder.
6. The method described in claim 1, further comprising the step of
removing a tip cap from said first end of said barrel of said drug
container before inserting the end of said drug container into said
first nostril of the person to whom the substance is to be
intranasally delivered.
7. A system for delivering at least one substance in at least two
doses, comprising: a drug container including an open end and a
stopper slideably positioned with said container; a holder
surrounding said drug container including a first generally tubular
body portion having an open end and a second generally tubular body
portion having an open end telescopically received in said open end
of said first generally tubular body portion; one of said generally
tubular body portions including at least two circumferentially
spaced ribs and the other of said generally tubular body portions
including two generally axially extending circumferentially spaced
slots receiving said circumferentially spaced ribs including a
first slot including a first axially extending slot portion
adjacent said open end and a second axially extending slot portion
circumferentially offset from said first axially extending slot
portion; and a second slot of said generally axially extending
circumferentially spaced slots including a deflectable side wall
extending into said second slot generally circumferentially aligned
with an intersection of said first and second axially extending
slot portions of said first slot, said deflectable side wall
rotating said other of said generally tubular body portions to
align said rib in said first axially extending slot portion with
said second axially extending slot portion when said rib in said
second slot is generally circumferentially aligned with said
intersection of said first and second axially extending slot
portions.
8. The system as defined in claim 7, wherein said deflectable side
wall of said second slot is formed by a deflectable arm having a
first end portion integral with said other of said generally
tubular body portions and a second free end portion extending into
said second slot.
9. The system as defined in claim 7, wherein said intersection of
said first and second axially extending slot portions of said first
slot includes an integral frangible bridge portion at said
intersection.
10. The system as defined in claim 7, wherein said first slot
includes an opening through said open end of said other of said
generally tubular body portions and an integral frangible bridge
portion located between said opening through said open end of said
other of said generally tubular body portions and said first
axially extending slot portion.
11. A system for delivering at least one substance in at least two
doses, comprising: a drug container including an open end and a
stopper slideably positioned within said container; a holder
surrounding said drug container including a first generally tubular
body portion having an open end and a second generally tubular body
portion having an open end telescopically received in said open end
of said first generally tubular body portions; one of said
generally tubular body portions including at least two
circumferentially spaced ribs and the other of said generally
tubular body portions including two generally axially extending
circumferentially spaced slots receiving said circumferentially
spaced ribs including a first slot having an opening through said
open end of said other of said generally tubular body portions, a
first axially extending slot portion adjacent said opening and a
second axially extending slot portion circumferentially offset from
said first axially extending slot portion; and an integral
frangible bridge portion extending between said opening through
said open end of said other of said generally tubular body portions
and said first axially extending slot portion.
12. The system as defined in claim 11, wherein a second slot of
said generally axially extending circumferentially spaced slots
includes a deflectable side wall extending into said second slot
generally circumferentially aligned with an intersection between
said first and second axially extending slot portions of said first
slot, said deflectable side wall rotating said other of said
generally tubular body portions to align said rib with said second
axially extending slot portion when said rib is located in said
second slot, said deflectable side wall generally circumferentially
aligned with said intersection of said first and second axially
extending slot portions.
13. The system as defined in claim 11, wherein said intersection of
said first an second axially extending slot portions of said first
slot includes an integral frangible bridge portion.
14. A method of intranasally delivering at least one substance in
at least two doses, comprising the following steps: grasping a
pre-assembled drug delivery system with a thumb and forefingers,
said drug delivery system including a drug container and a holder,
with said drug container including an open end, a stopper slideably
received in the container and a drug in the drug container between
the stopper and the open end, and said holder surrounding said drug
container including a first body portion telescopically received in
a second body portion and telescopic movement of the second body
portion into the first body portion drives said stopper toward said
open end upon actuation of the system, said first body portion
including a radial rib and said second body portion including a
generally axially extending slot receiving said rib including a
first slot portion and a second slot portion circumferentially
offset from said first slot portion; inserting said open end of
said drug container in a first nostril of a person to whom said
drug is to be intranasally delivered; applying a squeezing force by
squeezing together said first and second body portions of said
holder to drive said rib through said first slot portion, driving
said stopper toward said open end of said container a predetermined
distance equal to the length of said first slot portion to deliver
a first dose of said drug into said first nostril; removing said
open end of said drug container from said first nostril while
relaxing said squeezing force applied to said first and second body
portions; said first and second body portions then relatively
rotating without manual manipulation to receive said radial rib
opposite said second slot portion; inserting said open end of said
drug container in a second nostril of the person to whom said drug
is to be intranasally delivered; and squeezing together said first
and second body portions of said holder to drive said stopper
toward said open end of said container a distance equal to said
second slot portion to deliver a second dose of said drug to said
second nostril.
15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein said slot includes
an opening receiving said rib and a first integral frangible bridge
located between said opening and said first slot portion, wherein
said method includes squeezing together said first and second body
portions with sufficient force to break said first integral
frangible bridge to receive said rib in said first slot
portion.
16. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein said generally
axially extending slot includes a second integral frangible bridge
located between said first and second slot portions, wherein said
method includes squeezing together said first and second body
portions with sufficient force to break said second integral
frangible bridge to receive said rib in said second slot portion.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to delivery systems for
delivering substances such as drugs, vaccines and the like, and
more specifically relates to a drug delivery device for preferably
delivering such substances intranasally, i.e., through the nose,
including a holder and a prefilled drug container such as a
syringe. In addition, the present invention relates to a holder for
use by one hand in which the travel of the stopper is controlled to
insure tile application of a minimum force before activation and to
divide the substance to be delivered into at least two doses.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A number of medications may be effectively administered through the
nasal passages. Devices have accordingly been developed for this
purpose including either cartridges, such as those described in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,484 (Fuchs et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,570
(Fuchs et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,689 (Fuchs et al.), U.S. Pat.
No. 5,511,698 (Solignac), U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,280 (Fuchs), U.S.
Pat. No. 5,289,818 (Citterio et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,132
(Geier) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,219 (Fujioka et al.), or syringes,
such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,077 (Imbert), U.S.
Pat. No. 4,923,448 (Ennis, III), U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,416 (Wolf et
al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,573 (De Felice).
The nasal syringes are usually of a more conventional construction
such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,077 (Imbert) which
includes a cylindrical barrel having a blunt tip portion for
insertion into a nostril. A stopper is positioned within the
barrel. A plunger extends from the end of the barrel opposite to
the blunt tip. The plunger controls the position of the stopper
within the barrel. A flange may be provided on one end of the
plunger to facilitate its use. However, limitations remain,
particularly with respect to insuring that sufficient force is
applied to the plunger to obtain a therapeutic effective spray.
Nasal syringes are often supplied to users pre-filled with
medication. Whether pre-filled or not, it may be desirable to
administer selected, and usually equal volumes of medication to
each nostril. U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,868 (Borchard) discloses the use
of a telescoping tube assembly which is designed for expelling the
contents of a nasal syringe in two controlled doses. Also, U.S.
Pat. No. 5,601,077 (Imbert) discloses the use of a dose limited in
the form of a c-shaped attachment on the plunger rod for limiting
movement in the distal directed so that approximately half of the
substance to be delivered remains in the syringe. To continue, the
user simply removes the attachment from the plunger rod. In
addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,526 (Korisch et al.) discloses a
holder having an integral dose divider. However, it remains
difficult for users to administer equal doses of medication to each
nostril, especially with one hand.
Accordingly, there has been a need for a nasal drug delivery device
which over comes the problems and limitations associated with the
use of the prior devices for delivering a substance, especially
intranasally easily with one hand, including delivery of a uniform
spray which can be divided into at least two separate doses for
delivery into each nostril. Also, there has been a need for a
device which would permit the user to observe the substance in the
device to determine, for example, if the device has been previously
used.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In contrast to the prior devices discussed above, it has been found
that a drug delivery device particularly suited for use in
intranasally delivering substances such as drugs, vaccines and the
like can be constructed in accordance with the present invention.
Specifically, the invention is directed to an assembly such as a
housing which allows the use of a conventional, pre-filled drug
containers such as syringe while providing control of the dose to
be administered. The assembly is particularly applicable to nasal
syringes where it is often desirable to dispense medication in two
equal doses.
The system of the present invention for delivering at least one
substance in at least two doses includes a drug container including
a barrel, a first end extending from the barrel, and a stopper
slidably positioned within the barrel, a holder having a distal
portion and a proximal portion, with the distal portion being
assembled to the proximal portion, with the drug container secured
therein, and means for controlling the delivery of a substance
contained in the barrel of the drug container including a plurality
of slots extending axially along at least one of the portions of
the holder whereby upon activation of the system, the portions of
the holder move towards one another upon the application of a
minimum force and the stopper moves a preselected axial distance to
expel at least a portion of the substance from the drug
container.
In the preferred embodiment of the system, the first end of the
drug container includes a spray nozzle for use in intranasally
delivering the substance and the drug container is a syringe, and
the distal portion of the holder acts as a plunger rod during
activation of the system. In addition, the distal portion and the
proximal portion of the holder each has a generally tubular
interior configured to accommodate the drug container filled with a
substance to be delivered and the proximal portion of the holder
includes a closed end having a rod extending therefrom for
engagement with the stopper of the drug container upon activation.
Also, the preselected axial distance corresponds to about a dosage
of the substance held in the drug container barrel desired to be
administered in a first motion of the stopper, with the preselected
axial distance preferably corresponding to about half the distance
that the stopper is capable of moving within the barrel to
administer about half of the substance held by the drug
container.
In addition the preferred system of the present invention includes
a means for securing the drug container in the distal portion of
the holder with the distal portion having a first end through which
the first end of the drug container can extend and a second, open
end defining an opening of sufficient size for receiving the drug
container. Specifically, the drug container is preferably a syringe
having a rim extending from an open end thereof and the drug
container securing means is situated adjacent the open end of the
distal portion and includes at least one detent situated adjacent
the open end and dimensioned so that the rim of the syringe may be
securely retained in the distal portion by the detent. Also, a pair
of flanges extend radially outwardly from the distal portion of the
holder and attached thereto by a plurality of ribs, and the distal
portion of the holder includes at least one window to permit visual
inspect of the contents of the drug container located within the
holder.
Further, the distal portion includes at least one pair of ribs and
wherein the slots in the proximal portion of the holder include at
least one pair of slots situated thereof, with the pair of slots
including a first slot and a second slot extending axially along
the body of the proximal portion of the holder generally parallel
to each other and dimensioned and situated to accommodate the ribs
so that one of the ribs is insertable into each slot and able to
travel along the slot upon activation of the system. Also, the
first slot is preferably open and is divided into at least two
portions, and situated adjacent an open end of the first slot is a
bridge extending across at least a portion of the slot, with the
bridge being dimensioned so that when a rib comes in contact with
the bridge and sufficient force is applied there against, the
bridge will fracture to allow passage of the rib alone the slot. In
addition, a detent is situated adjacent the open end of the first
portion of the first slot so that the rib can be clipped between
the detent and the bridge prior to activation of the system, and
the second portion of the first slot is at least slightly offset
from the first portion of the first slot and towards the second
slot, and the other rib travels along the second slot to provide
structural stability and tracking, with the second slot including
biasing means for biasing the rib in the first slot towards the
second portion of the slot upon release of the force applied by a
user. The biasing means is adapted to include a cut-away portion
forming a deflectable arm having an inner wall associated with the
second slot so that as the ribs travel along their respective
slots, the one rib will deflect the flexible arm to cause the
proximal portion of the holder to rotate relative to the distal
portion about a central axis so that the rib situated in the first
slot can come in contact with a second bridge so that upon
sufficient force being applied, the bridge will fracture to allow
passage of the rib along the second portion of the first slot.
The holder of the present invention includes a distal portion and a
proximal portion, each configured to accommodate a drug container
filled with a substance to be delivered, with the distal portion
being able to be assembled to the proximal portion, and means for
controlling the delivery of the substance including a plurality of
slots extending axially along at least one of the portions of the
holder whereby when the portions of the holder are moved towards
one another upon the application of a minimum force, at least a
portion of the substance can be expelled from the drug
container.
In the preferred embodiment of the holder, a first end of the drug
container includes a spray nozzle and the drug container is a
syringe, and the distal portion and the proximal portion each has a
generally tubular interior configured to accommodate the syringe
and the proximal portion of the holder includes a closed end having
a rod extending therefrom for engagement with the stopper of the
syringe during activation.
The system of the present invention for the nasal delivery of at
least one substance includes a syringe having a barrel, a first end
extending from the barrel, the first end including a spray nozzle
having an opening for dispensing the substance from the barrel, and
at least one stopper slidably positioned within the barrel, a
holder having a distal portion and a proximal portion, each
configured to accommodate the syringe, with the distal portion
being able to be assembled to the proximal portion, which acts as a
plunger rod during activation of the system, and means for
controlling the delivery of a substance including a plurality of
slots extending axially along at least one of the portions of the
holder whereby upon activation of the system, the portions of the
holder move towards one another upon the application of a minimum
force and the stopper moves a preselected axial distance to expel
at least a portion of the substance from the syringe, with the
preselected axial distance corresponding to about half the distance
that the stopper is capable of moving within the barrel to
administer about half of the substance contained by the syringe
barrel.
In the preferred embodiment of the system, a pair of flanges extend
radially outwardly from the distal portion of the holder and are
attached there along by a plurality of ribs, and the distal portion
and the proximal portion each have a generally tubular
configuration. In addition, the slots in the proximal portion of
the holder include two corresponding sets situated on each side
thereof with each set including a first slot and a second slot
extending axially along the body of the proximal portion of the
holder generally parallel to each other and dimensioned and
situated to accommodate the ribs so that the ribs are insertable
into the slots and able to travel along the slots upon activation
of the system, and the first slot is preferably open and is divided
into at least two portions, and situated adjacent an open end of
the first slot is a bridge extending across at least a portion of
the slot, with the bridge being dimensioned so that when a rib
comes in contact with the bridge and sufficient force is applied
there against, the bridge will fracture or deform to allow passage
of the rib along the slot. In addition, a detent is situated
adjacent the open end of the first portion of the first slot so
that the rib can be clipped between the detent and the bridge prior
to activation of the system and the second portion of the first
slot is at least slightly offset from the first portion of the
first slot and towards the second slot. One of the ribs travels
along each of the second slots to provide structural stability and
tracking, with each second slot including a cut-away portion
forming a deflectable arm for biasing the ribs in the first slots
towards the second portions of the slots upon release of the force
applied by a user so that as the ribs travel along their respective
slots, the ribs traveling along the second slots will deflect the
flexible arms to cause the proximal portion of the holder to rotate
relative to the distal portion about a central axis so that the
ribs situated in the first slots each come in contact with a second
bridge so that upon sufficient force being applied, the bridges
will each fracture or deform to allow passage of the ribs along the
second portions of the first slots.
The method of the present invention for intranasally delivering at
least one substance in at least two doses, includes the steps of
grasping a pre-assembled drug delivery system with a thumb and two
forefingers of one hand, said drug delivery system including a drug
container and a holder, with the drug container including a barrel,
a first end extending from the barrel, and a stopper slidably
positioned within the barrel and the holder having a distal portion
and a proximal portion, with the distal portion being assembled to
the proximal portion, with the drug container secured therein, and
the proximal portion acting as a plunger rod during activation of
the system, inserting the end of the drug container into one
nostril of a person to whom the substance is to be intranasally
delivered, squeezing together the thumb and two forefingers of one
hand to apply sufficient force to overcome a bridge extending at
least partially across a slot to insure the application of a
minimum force, moving the proximal portion of the holder towards
the distal portion of the holder a first predetermined distance
during a first motion as a result of continuing to squeeze together
the thumb and two forefingers to cause the displacement of the
stopper and expulsion of a first predetermined amount of a
substance contained in the chamber of the drug container barrel
into the nostril, removing the end of the drug container from the
nostril while relaxing the squeezing force being applied and
inserting the end of the drug container into another nostril of the
person to whom the substance is to be intranasally delivered,
squeezing together the thumb and two forefingers to apply
sufficient force to overcome a second bridge extending at least
partially across the slot to insure the application of a minimum
force, and moving the proximal portion of the holder towards the
distal portion of the holder a second predetermined distance during
a second motion as a result of continuing to squeeze together the
thumb and two forefingers to cause the displacement of the stopper
and expulsion of a second predetermined amount of the substance
contained in the chamber of the drug container barrel into the
other nostril.
In the preferred embodiment of the method, the first predetermined
distance is approximately equal to the second predetermined
distance and the first predetermined amount of substance expelled
is approximately equal to the second predetermined amount of
substance expelled. Also, the method includes the step of visually
inspecting the contents of the drug container located within the
holder through at least one window located in the distal portion of
the holder. In addition, relaxing the force being applied during
the first motion causes the proximal portion of the holder to
rotate about its axis by a force exerted by biasing means. Further,
the method includes the step of removing a tip cap from the end of
the drug container. The step of grasping the drug delivery device
includes placing each of the two forefingers on a flange extending
from the distal portion and placing the thumb on a closed end of
the proximal portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The various features, objects, benefits, and advantages of the
present invention will become more apparent upon reading the
following detailed description of the preferred embodiment along
with the appended claims in conjunction with the drawings, wherein
like reference numerals identify corresponding components, and:
FIG. 1 is an exploded, perspective view of the holder and syringe
of the drug delivery system of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the assembled drug delivery
system;
FIG. 3 is a side view of the two portions of the holder prior to
assembly;
FIG. 4 is top view of the two portions of the holder prior to
assembly;
FIGS. 5-9 are various side views of the holder showing the two
portions assembled at various stages of activation to deliver doses
of the substance contained therein;
FIGS. 10-12 are various top, sectional views of the syringe and
holder at various stages during activation of the drug delivery
system showing the position of the plunger within the syringe;
FIGS. 13 and 14 are schematic representations of the drug delivery
device of the present invention being used to deliver the substance
to each of the nostrils of the user; and
FIG. 15 is a fragmentary, sectional view of an alternative
embodiment of the drug delivery system illustrating securement of
the syringe in the holder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The drug delivery system of the present invention is illustrated in
FIGS. 1-15, and generally includes the designation 20. Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2, the system 20 of the present invention includes a
drug container such as preferably a syringe 22 and a holder 24.
When used to delivery substances intranasally, the assembly insures
that the substance to be delivered by the syringe is sprayed into
the nostril and can be divided into at least two doses. It further
limits the penetration of the syringe tip into the nostril and
permits visual inspection of the substance contained in the
system.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the holder 24 for the syringe is
comprised of at least two portions, i.e., a distal portion 26 and a
proximal portion 28, each have a generally tubular interior
configuration to accommodate the syringe 22 therein. For the
purposes of the description of the present invention, the term
"distal" is meant to refer to the portion or end furthest from the
person holding the system of the present invention and the term
"proximal" is meant to refer to the portion or end closest to the
person holding the system.
The particular syringe of the system is not essential to the
present invention and may include, for example, when used to
delivery substances intranasally, the nasal syringe disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,077 (Imbert), the disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety. However, preferably, the
syringe 22 includes an elongated cylindrical barrel 30 made of
either glass or plastic having an open proximal end 32, a chamber
34 for retaining the substance to be delivered and a distal end or
tip 36, with the chamber 34 extending from the proximal end to the
distal end 36. The distal end includes an orifice 37 through which
the substance can be expelled from the chamber. In the preferred
embodiment, the proximal end 32 of the syringe includes a rim 38
extending therefrom. The syringe is preferably pre-filled with the
substance such as a drug, vaccine or the like to be delivered prior
to inserting the syringe into the holder 24.
A stopper 40 is slidably positioned in fluid-tight engagement
inside the barrel 30. A sealing or tip cap 42 may be fitted over
the tip 36 to prevent the loss of fluid through the orifice prior
to use of the assembly.
A spray nozzle 50 extends outwardly from the tip portion of the
barrel and includes a conduit therethrough in fluid communication
with the orifice. The spray nozzle includes a distal end having a
spray aperture in fluid communication with the conduit. It will be
apparent to one skilled in the art that there are numerous
constructions that can be used to form the spray nozzle and that
the arrangement described herein is exemplary of these many
possibilities. Also, it is within the purview of this invention to
include a valve-less nozzle. Accordingly, the preferred spray
nozzle is taught in the prior art and commercially available such
as for example from SOFAB of Paris, France and taught in SOFAB's
French Patent No. 2,635,084, the disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the two portions 26, 28 of the holder
24 are ergonomically shaped to facilitate handling and preferably
have a generally tubular configuration to accommodate the syringe.
In addition, the two portions 26, 28 are preferably made from a
plastic material such as polypropylene. The distal portion 26
includes an elongated body 26A having a first, enlarged end 60
through which the tip 36, tip cap 42 and spray nozzle 50 can
extend, and a second, opened end 62 defining an opening of
sufficient size for receiving the syringe barrel, but which is
preferably equal in size than the rim 38 through which the syringe
may be inserted into the distal portion of the holder. In this way,
preferably, the syringe is securely retained in the distal portion
of the holder by a pair of grooves 64 and detents 66 as shown in
FIGS. 10-12, situated proximally to the open end and dimensioned so
that the rim of the syringe may extend therefrom. To facilitate
insertion of the rim past the detents, as well as inhibit removal
of the syringe from the holder, a projection to form the detent 66,
as well as the groove, is situated adjacent each groove for
retaining the syringe in the distal portion 26 of the holder 24
(FIGS. 10-12). Each detent 66 includes angled end face 70 and a
shoulder portion 72 defined by the inner surface of the detent
which allows the rim of the syringe to snap behind the detents and
lock the rim of the syringe in place.
In addition, a pair of flanges 74 extending radially outwardly from
the first end 60 towards the second open end 62 and are attached
therealong by a plurality of ribs 76 (FIG. 4). The front end 60 is
larger in diameter than the diameter of an average adult nostril,
and is blunt. While the embodiment shown in the drawings has a
front end face which is rounded, it may alternatively be oval or
any other shape desired, provided that the front end face is
prevented from entry into the nostril.
One or more windows 78 are provided in the body 26A of the distal
portion of the holder (FIG. 4). The windows may be in the form of
openings in the body, or transparent wall portions mounted to the
body. The windows allow the user to view the syringe barrel located
within the holder. The user can accordingly determine whether there
is any substance present in the syringe, and whether the substance
is suitable for administration. As some pharmaceutical products are
frozen during storage, it may be important to determine whether the
product within the syringe has thawed prior to administration.
The proximal portion 28 of the holder is designed to be assembled
to the distal portion 26 and preferably acts as a plunger rod
during activation of the system. In addition, the proximal portion
includes a means for controlling delivery of the substance, as well
as to divide the substance into at least two doses. Specifically,
the proximal portion includes an end face defining an opening 80 of
sufficient size for accommodating at least a portion of the body
26A of the distal portion 26 of the holder. In the preferred
embodiment, the other end 82 is closed and includes an elongated
rod 84 integrally formed in the proximal portion of the holder and
extending from the closed end 82 towards the open end 80. The rod
84 is of a sufficient size and dimension to engage the stopper
during activation of the system. However, it should be appreciated
that a conventional plunger rod may be utilized with the syringe
instead of having an integrally formed rod 84 in the holder.
Referring to FIGS. 3-9, the means utilized to control delivery of
the substance includes a plurality of slots extending axially along
the body of the proximal portion of the holder. The slots are
preferably provided in two corresponding sets situated on each side
thereof. Specifically, each set includes a first slot 90 and a
second slot 92 extending axially along the body of the proximal
portion of the holder generally parallel to each other. The slots
are dimensioned and situated about the body 28A of the proximal
portion 28 of the holder to accommodate the ribs 76 connecting the
flanges 74 to the body 26A of the distal portion 26 so that the
ribs are insertable into the slots and able to travel along the
slots upon activation of the system.
Referring to FIG. 5, the first slot 90 is preferably open and is
divided into at least two portions 90A, 90B when the system is to
be used to deliver at least two doses of the substance, with each
portion 90A, 90B having a length corresponding to the desired
distance in which the stopper must travel to expel the substance
from the chamber of the syringe barrel. Situated adjacent the open
end of the slot 90 is a bridge 98 extending across at least a
portion of the slot, and preferably bridging the entire gap of the
slot. The bridge is dimensioned so that when a rib 76 comes in
contact with the bridge and sufficient force is applied there
against, the bridge will fracture and allow passage of the rib
along the slot. In this way, the rib will travel along the slot
until is comes in contact with a stop 100 situated at the end of
the first portion 90A of the slot 90. The second portion 90B of the
slot 90 is preferably slightly offset from the first portion 90A of
the slot and towards the other slot 92.
A detent 99 is situated adjacent the open end 80 of the proximal
portion of the holder along the slot 90 so that the rib can be
clipped or snapped between the detent 99 and the bridge 98 prior to
activation of the system.
In addition, a corresponding rib 76 travels along the other or
second slot 92 to provide structural stability and tracking, and
the other slot 92 includes a biasing means to bias the rib in the
first slot towards the second portion of the slot upon
releasing/relaxing of the force applied by the user. Specifically,
the other slot 92 includes a cut-away portion forming a deflectable
arm 102 having a inner wall 104 associated with the slot slightly
inclined and an upper portion 106 having a width less than a lower
extending portion 108 and the slot 92 being wider at an open end
109 and narrowing along the slightly inclined inner wall 104 of the
deflectable arm 102 (FIGS. 5 and 6). In this way, as the two ribs
72 travel along their respective slots 90, 92, the one rib
traveling along slot 92 will deflect the flexible arm 102 to cause
the proximal portion 28 of the holder to rotate relative to the
distal portion 26 about its central axis, and the rib 76 traveling
along slot 90 will move along the stop 100 and adjacent a bridge
110 similar to the first bridge but extending across the second
portion 90B of the slot before traveling along the second portion
90B of the slot 90 (FIG. 7). Accordingly, upon sufficient force
being applied, the bridge 110 will fracture to allow passage of the
rib 76 into the second portion 90B of the slot (FIG. 8) and there
along until it reaches the bottom of the slot (FIG. 9). It should
also be appreciated that the inclined inner wall may have
sufficient flexibility to provide the necessary biasing to cause
relative rotation.
It should be appreciated that for purposes of illustration, the
device has been described with respect to one set of slots and
ribs. However, a corresponding arrangement is preferably provided
on the other side of the holder. Also, it should be apparent that
the slot can be divided into successive portions to further divide
the substance to be delivered into additional doses.
Although the system of the present invention has been described in
connection with preferably the use of a nasal syringe, it should be
appreciated that the holder may also be used in connection with
syringes having needles such as those described in U.S. Pat. No.
4,964,866 (Szwarc), U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,818 (Imbert et al.) and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,400 (Thibault et al.), the disclosures of which
are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as though
fully set forth herein.
Also, it should be appreciated that although the preferred
embodiment has been described in connection with a single
compartment syringe, a multi-compartment syringe (not shown) can be
utilized where, for example, a diluent is provided in one chamber
and at least one dry or wet substance is provided in another
chamber such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. U.S. Pat. No.
4,599,082 (Grimard), U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,326 (Szwarc), U.S. Pat.
No. 4,929,230 (Pfleger) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,235 (Bekkering),
the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference as
though fully set forth herein. In this way, the first portion of
the slot can be used to permit the stopper to travel a sufficient
distance so as to permit mixing of the two substances. Thereafter,
travel of the stopper permits the reconstituted substance to be
delivered. Also, under such circumstances the initial bridge may be
eliminated or reduced to a detent for merely attaching the two
portions of the holder together.
The syringe 22 is preferably filled with the substance to be
delivered and stoppered prior to assembly with the holder 24. In
this way, the prefilled syringe can be inserted into the distal
portion 26 of the holder and secured therein as a result of the rim
of the syringe coming in contact with the detent 66 and in front of
the grooves 64. Then the proximal portion 28 of the holder can be
secured to the distal portion 26 of the holder by inserting the
ribs 76 of the flanges 74 into the initial portion of each slot
between the detents 99 and the bridges 98.
Operation and Use
Having described the preferred embodiment of the drug delivery
system 20 of the present, including the assembly thereof, its
operation and use is described below in connection with FIGS. 5-12,
and in particular FIGS. 13 and 14, with FIGS. 5 and 10 illustrating
the system prior to activation.
In operation, the user grasps the pre-assembled system 20 as shown
in FIG. 13 and with the tip cap 42 removed, insert the blunt tip
into one nostril. The proximal portion of the holder is then moved
towards the distal portion of the holder by the user squeezing
together his thumb and two forefingers so that the two portions
move towards each other with the proximal portion acting as a
plunger rod (FIGS. 5 and 6). This movement, causes the displacement
of the stopper 40 and expulsion of a predetermined amount of the
substance 112 contained in the chamber of the syringe barrel
through the orifice 37, depending upon the distance that the
proximal portion, as well as the rod, travels until its progress is
arrested by first stop, as shown in FIG. 11. For simplicity, the
total distance that the stopper 40 may be displaced into the barrel
30 of the syringe 22 is depicted by the legend "L" in FIG. 10, with
that distance "L" also correlating to the total quantity of
substance retained in the syringe barrel. Similarly, the
displacement of the stopper a distance L/n, would correlate to a
first desired quantity of the substance to be administered from the
syringe during a first motion of the proximal portion. For
instance, for an application to a nasal syringe, it is typically
desirable to ensure equal administration of the substance into each
of the nostrils, meaning that it would be desirable to expel only
half of the contents of the syringe at such time as the rib is
arrested by the first stop (thus, L/n would correlate to L/2).
After a first administration of the substance, then the user would
remove the system 20 from that nostril and place it in the other
nostril (FIG. 14), naturally relaxing the pressure or force being
applied to the system resulting in the proximal portion of the
holder rotating about its axis by the force exerted by the flexible
arm so as to put the rib in position to travel along the second
portion of the slot adjacent the second bridge (FIG. 7). Once the
rib is so situated and the system situated in the other nostril,
the proximal portion of the holder is again squeezed, causing the
rod to advance and fracture bridge 110 (FIG. 8) and engage the
stopper to expel the remaining contents of the syringe into the
other nostril. FIGS. 9 and 12 show the system 20 once the contents
have been expelled. Once so used, the entire system is typically
discarded.
The system 20 provides a number of advantageous features. It allows
the user to easily divide the dose to be delivered from the syringe
using only one hand to position and activate the system. When used
with a nasal syringe, the enlarged end of the holder limits the
penetration of the syringe tip into the nostril. In addition the
overall configuration of the holder together with its enlarged
flanges facilitates its handling and use with only one hand.
As illustrated in FIG. 15, in the alternative, the syringe may be
retained in the distal portion of the holder by a pair of detents
or a groove 200 running along the tip in which a corresponding rim
on the spray nozzle can be inserted.
While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been
described so as to enable one skilled in the art to practice the
device of the present invention, it is to be understood that
variations and modifications may be employed without departing from
the concept and intent of the present invention as defined in the
following claims. The preceding description is intended to be
exemplary and should not be used to limit the scope of the
invention. The scope of the invention should be determined only by
reference to the following claims.
* * * * *